Cubs break World Series curse with epic Game 7 win over Indians

The Cubs’ Miguel Montero hits an RBI single during the 10th inning of Game 7 of the Major League Baseball World Series against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night in Cleveland.
David J. Phillip
AP

The curse is over. The Chicago Cubs won their first World Series since 1908 Wednesday night after winning an extra-inning Game 7 thriller 8-7 over the Cleveland Indians at Progressive Field.

The Indians rallied from deficits of 5-1 and 6-3 to tie it with three in the eighth, including a two-run homer from Rajai Davis off Cubs’ closer Aroldis Chapman.

But after a short rain delay, the Cubs scored twice in the 10th inning, including a go-ahead, run-scoring double from former Dallas Baptist star Ben Zobrist. Zobrist was later named World Series MVP after leading the Cubs with 10 hits, including two doubles and a triple. He scored five runs and drove in two.

“My stomach was in knots all game long. I think every fan’s was,” said Zobrist, who won a World Series last season with the Kansas City Royals. “This was an epic game. It’s epic and I can’t believe we were able to do it for Chicago Cub fans everywhere. A 108 years in the making. We did it.”

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With two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Davis singled to center to score Brandon Guyer to pull the Indians to within 8-7 but Michael Martinez grounded out to third against reliever Mike Montgomery to end the game. Montgomery earned the save, the first of his career, including in the minors.

The Cubs, whose 108-year title drought was by far the longest in the majors, hadn’t been to the World Series since 1945. The Indians, who had the second-largest drought with their last title coming in 1948, are now the league’s reigning title drought leader.

The Cubs became the first team since the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates to rally from a 3-1 deficit to win the title by winning the final two games on the road. The last team to come back from a 3-1 deficit was the 1985 Kansas City Royals, who won the final two games at home.